COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF EXTRACTION AND APPLICABILITY OF NANOSILICATE PARTICLES FROM NATURAL WASTE FOR BIOPOLYMER REINFORCEMENT

Authors

  • H. O. Onovo Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4459-5563
  • A. A. Agbeleye Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria
  • T. T. Akano Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Botswana Gaborone, Botswana
  • D. B. Oludele Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria
  • J. O. Olawoyin Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria
  • I. S. Kentosu Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v43i4.7

Keywords:

Biodegradability, Renewability, Biopolymers, Nano-silica, Corncob, Environmental sustainability, Natural waste, Polymer degradation

Abstract

Biopolymers have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics owing to their inherent biodegradability and renewability. However, augmenting their mechanical and barrier properties remains pivotal for diverse applications, particularly in packaging applications. This study explores corncob nano-silica (ccnSi) extraction, evaluating its performance in biopolymer films. A synergistic chemical-mechanical process yielded uniformly sized ccnSi particles (69.23-97.70 nm). To optimize ccnSi incorporation, surface treatments with varying NaOH concentrations (3.0M, 3.5M, 4.0M) were applied. The extracted ccnSi's performance metrics rivaled commercial nano-silica (cnSi). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis unveiled a heightened silicon content in ccnSi (94 %) relative to cnSi (71.61 %). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses substantiated the commendable dispersion and amorphous characteristics of the ccnSi/biopolymer composites. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) provided empirical evidence for the existence of groups of silanol as well as the silane, signifying surface modifications. Substantial surface areas (324.9-833.6 m²/g) were ascertained through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, a finding further affirmed through the dynamic light scattering (DLS) and particle size distribution (PSD) measurements. The incorporation of ccnSi markedly elevated the tensile strength of biopolymer films (0.572 MPa) in contrast to cnSi (0.49 MPa). Thermogravimetric and Differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) indicated commendable thermal stability, with polymer degradation initiating at 400 °C. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of 32 °C, coupled with the amorphous nature confirmed by Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), underscores the promising potential of ccnSi as a biopolymer. This research underscores the successful extraction and application of ccnSi in biopolymer-based films, presenting a paradigm shift towards enhanced performance and heightened environmental sustainability in next-generation packaging materials.

References

[1] Ebhota, W. S. and Tabakov, P. Y. “Leveraging agrivoltaics to increase food, energy, and water access in the global south: a case study sub-sarahan Africa”, NIJOTECH, Vol. 43, no. 2, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4314/NJT.V43I2.20

[2] Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J. and Befort, B. L. “Global food demand and the intensive nitrogen cycle’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 108, no. 50, pp.20260-20264, 2011. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23060109

[3] Gupta, A., Rayeen, F., Mishra, R., Tripathi, M. and Pathak, N. “Nanotechnology applications in sustainable agriculture: An emerging eco-friendly approach” Plant Nano Biology, Vol. 4. 100033. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plana .2023.100033

[4] Saleem, M. “Possibility of utilizing agriculture biomass as a renewable and sustainable future energy source”, Heliyon, Vol. 8, no. 2, e08905, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e 08905

[5] Janjua, T. I., Cao, Y., Kleitz, F., Linden, M., Yu, C. and Popat, A. “Silica nanoparticles: A review of their safety and current strategies to overcome biological barriers”, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Vol. 2203. 115115, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2023.115115

[6] Nayl, A. A., Abd-Elhamid, A. I., Ashraf, A. A. and Bräse, S. “Recent progress in the applications of silica-based nanoparticles”, RSC Adv., Vol. 12, pp.13706-13726. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA01587K

[7] Ragauskas, A. J., Beckham, G. T., Biddy, M. J., Chandra, R., Chen, F., Davis, M. F., Davison, B. H., Dixon, R., Gilna, P., Martin, K., Langan, P., Naskar, A. K., Tschaplinski, T. J., Tuskan, G. A. and Wyman, C. E. “Lignin valorization: Improving lignin process economics through biorefinery development”, Science, Vol. 344, no.6185, 1246843, 2014. DOI:10.1126/science .1246843

[8] Obi, F. O., Ugwuishiwu, B. O. and Nwakaire, J. N. Agricultural waste concept, generation, utilization and management. Niger J Technol (NIJOTECH), Vol. 35, no. 4, pp.957–964, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i4.34

[9] Fangueiro, J. F., de Carvalho, N. M., Antunes, F., Mota, I. F., Pintado, M. E., Madureira, A. R. and Costa, P. S. “Lignin from sugarcane bagasse as a prebiotic additive for poultry feed”, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Vol. 239, 124262, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124262

[10] Baranwal, J., Barse, B., Fais, A., Delogu, G. L. and Kumar, A. “Biopolymer: A Sustainable Material for Food and Medical Applications”, Polymers (Basel), Vol. 14, no. 5, pp.983, 2022. doi: 10.3390/polym14050983. PMID: 352678 03; PMCID: PMC8912672.

[11] Sadh, P. K., Duhan, S. and Duhan, J. S. “Agro-industrial wastes and their utilization using solid state fermentation: a review”, Bioresour. Bioprocess, Vol. 5, no. 1, 2018. https://doi.or g/10.1186/s40643-017-0187-z

[12] Rhim, J.-W., Park, H.-M. and Ha, C.-S. “Bio-nanocomposites for food packaging applicati-ons”, Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 38, no. 10–11, pp.1629-1652, 2013. https://doi.org/10 .1016/j.progpolymsci.2013.05.008

[13] Olayil, R., Prabu, V. A., DayaPrasad, S., Naresh, K. and Sreekanth, P. S. R. “A review on the application of bio-nanocomposites for food packaging”, Materialstoday: Proceedings, Vol. 56, Part 3, pp.1302-1306, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.11.315.

[14] Sharma, B., Malik, P. and Jain, P. “Biopolymer reinforced nanocomposites: A comprehensive review”, Materialstoday Communications, Vol. 16, pp.353-363. 2018. https://doi.org/10.101 6/j.mtcomm.2018.07.004.

[15] Cazón, P., Velazquez, G., Ramírez, J. A. and Vázquez, M. “Polysaccharide-based films and coatings for food packaging: A review”, Food Hydrocolloids, Vol. 68, pp.136-148, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.09.009.

[16] Wu, Y., Chen, S., Liu, Y., Lu, Z., Song, S., Zhang, Y., Xiong, C. and Dong, L. “One-step preparation of porous aminated-silica nanopar-ticles and their antibacterial drug delivery applications”, Journal of Materials Science and Technology, Vol. 50, pp.139-146, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2019.12.015.

[17] Agi, A., Junin, R., Jaafar, M. Z., Mohsin, R., Arsad, A., Gbadamosi, A., Fung, C. K. and Gbonhinbor, J. “Synthesis and application of rice husk silica nanoparticles for chemical enhanced oil recovery”, Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Vol. 9, no. 6, pp.13054-13066, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016 /j.jmrt.2020.08.112.

[18] Majeed, K., Ahmed, A., Abu Bakar, M. S., Indra Mahlia, T. M., Saba, N., Hassan, A., Jawaid, M., Hussain, M., Iqbal, J. and Ali, Z. “Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Montmorillonite-Reinforced Polypropylene/ Rice Husk Hybrid Nanocomposites”, Polymers, Vol. 11, no. 10, 1557, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11101557

[19] Hoidy, W., Mansor, A., Emad, A. and Nor, I. “Preparation and Characterization of Polylactic Acid/Polycaprolactone Clay Nanocomposites”, Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol. 10, no. 2, pp.97-106. 2010. DOI: 10.3923/jas.2010.97.10 6.

[20] Ferraz, D. and Pyka, A. “Circular economy, bioeconomy, and sustainable development goals: a systematic literature review”, Environ-mental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 11, no. 10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1135 6-023-29632-0

[21] Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “The Circular Economy in Detail”, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

[22] Mujtaba, M., Morsi, E., Kerch, G., Elsabee, Z., Kaya, M., Labidi, J. and Khawar M. Current advancements in chitosan-based film production for food technology; A review. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 2019;121: 889-904.

Downloads

Published

2025-01-08

Issue

Section

Chemical, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Petroleum & Production Engineering

How to Cite

COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF EXTRACTION AND APPLICABILITY OF NANOSILICATE PARTICLES FROM NATURAL WASTE FOR BIOPOLYMER REINFORCEMENT. (2025). Nigerian Journal of Technology, 43(4), 666 – 675. https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v43i4.7